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Diego Dominguez Hasn't Been Sacked, Toulon Just Have A New Head Coach

Diego Dominguez

Toulon moved to second on the Top 14 table Sunday with a bonus point win in their first game under new head coach Mike Ford. But the intricacies of French employment law mean old coach Diego Dominguez hasn’t technically been fired. James Harrington explains.

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Toulon head coach Diego Dominguez has gone – out on his ear after three months in a job he’s been waiting for since December 2014, replaced by former Bath coach Mike ‘Dad-of-George’ Ford.

He was shown the door, ironically, after Toulon picked up a desperately needed win at Sale in the European Champions Cup that kept their hopes of reaching the knockout phase just about alive.

Dominguez insisted he was “content” with the 15-5 win, but he was about the only one who was. On announcing his head coach’s ‘suspension’, Toulon president Mourad Boudjellal said: “I wasn’t happy with what I was seeing. If I were a Toulon fan, I wouldn’t feel like buying a ticket to come to the stadium.”

The last straw, apparently, came when Ford – brought in as Dominguez’s assistant with a brief to do pretty much everything a head coach is meant to do – complained that his boss was not involving the coaching team in any of his decisions.

The situation is not as simple as it sounds. For a start, Dominguez hasn’t actually gone. Not entirely. He’s been relieved of his duties until further notice, according to the club’s not-really-surprising surprise press release. This matters because French employment law is so incredibly convoluted and weighted in favour of the employee that no one – not even Toulon president Boudjellal – finds it easy to even consider sacking someone.

Ask Fabien Galthie. Or, rather, don’t. He’s still engaged in a legal tangle with Montpellier after being ‘suspended’ by the club in January 2015. A tribunal will take place in December, but until a ruling is made, probably in early 2017, he is technically still on Montpellier’s books, which is why he has not yet taken a coaching job elsewhere.

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It is clear to everyone that Galthie is not going back to the Altrad Stadium unless he takes a job with another Top 14 club. Jake White was given his job, and will be replaced next season by Vern Cotter, but French law will have its ponderous way.

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Dominguez left a side sitting in an apparently healthy fourth place in the Top 14, with four wins from eight, but the writing had been on the wall for some time. His record included defeat at Bayonne in August – the Basque Country club’s only win this season – as well as Brive’s first win at Toulon in a decade and a rugby lesson from European Champions Cup rivals Saracens at Stade Mayol.

Toulon do not lose at home – and they definitely do not lose at home in Europe.

So Dominguez isn’t in charge at Toulon right now. Mike Ford is. And the club picked up a handy bonus-point six-try demolition of lowly Grenoble in his first match in charge to move into second place in the Top 14, as the ex-Bath man delivered on his early promise to bring attacking rugby back to the Mediterranean club.

The Dominguez situation was bizarre from beginning to end. He was unveiled as the man to replace Bernard Laporte to a collective “huh?” on December 20, 2014, after the former France coach decided to leave club rugby to pursue the presidency of the FFR.

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At the time, Toulon had a team full of superstars and a bulging trophy cabinet. They had, surely, their pick of the cream of the rugby coaching crop. And, yet, Boudjellal chose Dominguez – a fine player for both Stade Francais and Italy, certainly – but a man whose coaching experience was as close to zero (a couple of summer rugby camps for children) as you could possibly get.

It was hardly the grounding for a job in charge of the galatic egos of the three-time European champions. But Boudjellal said at the time that he knew within ten minutes of talking to Dominguez over dinner that the Argentinian was the man for the job.

As it turned out, he very clearly wasn’t. It is to Boudjellal’s credit that he has admitted he made a mistake. Now, he and Ford and thousands of Toulon fans will be hoping he hasn’t made a second one in quick succession.

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Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 3 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
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